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Fresh

The Tomatometer is 60% or higher.

Rotten

The Tomatometer is 59% or lower.

Certified Fresh

The Tomatometer is 75% or higher, with 40 reviews (movies) or 20 reviews (TV). At least 5 reviews from Top Critics.

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Movie Info

Telegraph Hill is a neighborhood in one of the hillier sections of San Francisco that over the years has become home to a large flock of wild parrots. While no one is certain how they got there, the birds were for the most part left to their own devices until they were discovered by Mark Bittner. A street musician and self-described "Dharma bum," Bittner had no practical background in ornithology when he first encountered the parrots, but it wasn't long before he developed a close bond with them
and took it upon himself to feed and care for the birds, and even gave many of them names. Bittner's friendship with the parrots became a growing experience that taught the guitarist as much about himself as it did about the birds, and with the passage of time, his work earned him the respect of his community as well as a home. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is a documentary which recounts the story of Bittner and his birds, as well as an unexpected twist of fate which added a poignant note to their tale.… More

The birds...are a natural subject for a documentary film, but in the end Judy Irving's film is as much or more about Mark Bittner, a self-appointed guardian of the flock, than it is about the birds themselves.

Audience Reviews for The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

½

A beautiful documentary about a truly unique subject. However, I question the motivation, the "honesty" behind closing with the highly speculative killing of Connor by the hawk. As in all life writing, I also question the "truth," in this case, of "miraculously" returning to the scene to capture Connor on film on his last day of life. Kind of reminds me of Jack Nicholson lauding the rule of coincidence in our lives in The Passenger.

A look at the flock of wild parrots that live in a neighborhood of San Fransisco and the remarkable individual (Mark Bittner) that studied and cared for them over a period of years. Mark was able to interact with the birds on a personal level, calling them by name, to nurse them through injuries and disease, and yet allowed them to remain free. He has also written a book about his experiences. This was fascinating. The extras include well over an hour of additional footage and information about the the birds and their lives since the footage that was used in the main body of the film. This film reached me on a deeper level than I exected. I found myself invested in the lives of these magnificent creatures and the man whose heart was tuned to them and was quite moved by this film.

I think we all know someone like this. A guy who just plants himself somewhere to become part of the neighbourhood, just hanging out an appreciating. He discovers the parrots of Telegraph Hill who, like him, are strangers to the City and an interesting relationship is created. Providing you with information on the final interesting relationship would be too much of give away.